Top Ten With Tina Sokolovska, and the Philosophy Which Led to Two Million Reposts

Tina Sokolovska is a newly appointed Nikon Ambassador, as well as an American-Ukrainian photographer, creative director, and educator based in New York. Her 2017 breakout image, "On the Wave," was noted by 35photo.pro as one of the Top 100 Best Photographs in the World, and has been reposted on social media more than two million times. Here she talks about personal connection, working fast, and not obsessing about reposts (even when you get more than two million).

What Must-Carry Items Are Always in Your Bag?

I always have at least one camera body and one to two lenses on me. Most of the time it's Nikon Z8, NIKKOR Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena, and either the 24-70mm f/2.8 S II or 24-120mm f/4. The Nikon Z8 is a beast. I also like to have fun with the Z5 II or Z6 III when I'm on assignments. I love using the Plena for close and full-body portraits. If I have an indoor photoshoot, I either bring with me the Godox V100 or Profoto B10 Plus for lights. Of course, I always make sure I have two memory cards — one OWC Atlas Ultra CFexpress Type B (1 TB) and one for the backup copy slot, an OWC Atlas Pro 1 TB SD card. It's super important to me to make sure all the photos are safe. My personal essentials: spray hand sanitizer with orange from Whole Foods, Laneige gummy bear lip balm, car and home keys, a wallet with a picture of my cat Oscar in it, and my wired headphones. Also, I like to have some candy or chocolate snacks that I can enjoy with my coffee during the shoot.

What Is the Most Underrated Photo Skill?

The most underrated photo skill, in my opinion, is not a technical skill, but more of a soft skill. Photographers often underestimate the importance of communication skills, building trust, and forming strong emotional connections with the subject or client. People have to feel very comfortable with you in order to enjoy the experience. When they tell somebody about the photoshoot with you, they will likely tell their friends how great they felt during it.

What Technique Do You Use Most Often?

Not sure if you can call it a technique, but I do like to use lenses above 100 mm as a full-body lens. Love, love, love it. It gives a special feeling in photos — I love how it pulls the background closer, so I'll use it quite often in photoshoots. Also, I like to photograph against the sun — it gives amazing contour to the subject and sometimes creates a very nice effect.

If You Were Starting, What Would You Do Differently? Or What Advice Would You Give a Photographer Just Starting Out?

If I were just starting, I probably wouldn't overthink as much. I would say do not try to limit yourself to one genre or be afraid of making mistakes. I was overthinking too much, asking myself constant questions like, "Do I follow the trends?" The question is: do you shoot what you like or what other people like? It's the only way to figure out what you're really into — you have to try everything. Don't be afraid — take photoshoots in all genres: portrait, fashion, wildlife, weddings, etc., and then try to listen to yourself, what really resonates with you, and explore it further. Practice — it takes 10,000 hours of doing something to become a knowledgeable person. Never stop learning. Try to listen to people you find successful. Invest in knowledge — mentors spend their whole life exploring something, saving you years of your life. I would also probably not compare myself to others and try to do what I really like — to develop my own style.

What Art Books Should Every Photographer Own?

Clearly, mine, ha ha! Jokes aside, I do have my own photo art coffee table book, "She, Everywhere," that can be great inspiration for photographers. It tells a lot of interesting stories too. But also, I think every photographer should have some basic color science books to know how colors work and some books on composition. These two areas of knowledge alone can radically shift your work. For color: The Complete Color Harmony: Pantone Edition, or The Book of Colour Concepts. And for composition: The Secrets to Creating Amazing Photos: 83 Composition Tools from the Masters or The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos.

How Do You Know When a Photo Is a Success?

For me, it's a success if I like it and if it makes me happy. But also, since we are living in a social media era, I guess people's reactions can reflect social success. Something like this happened to me in 2017 with my famous photo "On the Wave" — it became viral on social media and got more than two million reposts, and a lot of people got to know this photo. While that is also a success for me, it doesn't mean I define the success of each photo by how many reposts it gets. So, I guess this is more of a rhetorical question, and the only person whose opinion matters should be your own.

What Is Your Best Photo Skill?

The best photo skill is the speed with which I work. This is something every client highlights — how quickly I can deliver a good-quality result. It took me 20 years to master this. Now I just need a few minutes to take the shot.

What Photo Skill Do You Wish You Were Better At?

I wish I were better at film photography and capturing it in manual mode. It's true magic to me, and I would definitely love to master that skill more.

Do You Have Anything That Is a Daily Practice or Habit?

Absolutely. Vinyasa yoga for my mind and body — I have a bad disc in my lower back.

After a Camera, What Are the Next Three Pieces of Equipment You Would Advise a Photographer to Invest In?

The next piece of equipment to invest in — maybe even more important than the camera itself — is a good lens. It's what makes your image. Invest in high quality, something with f/1.2 to f/2.8, at least one prime lens. An SSD is a must. Your materials have to be safe even after 20 years. I'm using the OWC Envoy Ultra.

Bio

Tina Sokolovska is an American-Ukrainian fashion, editorial, and celebrity photographer, creative director, and educator based in New York. 

Tina's work blends strong visual storytelling with refined cinematic aesthetics, and her portfolio spans fashion editorials, brand campaigns, celebrity portraits, and magazine covers. She has collaborated with leading publications such as Vogue and on projects with global brands and organizations including Team USA.

Tina is also a highly experienced educator with a passion for inspiring photographers to push creative boundaries and tell meaningful visual stories. She has led more than 100 photography workshops worldwide, teaching thousands of photographers across the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Through events and independent masterclasses, she shares her expertise in lighting, storytelling, and building a personal visual language.

Tina is also the author of the art photography book She, Everywhere and the founder and creative director of 917 Agency, a New York-based creative production agency specializing in photography, film production, and creative direction for fashion, beauty, and luxury brands.

In addition to her role as a Nikon Ambassador, Tina is also a brand representative for OWC (Other World Computing) and Evoto, collaborating with leading technology and creative software brands to explore innovative tools that empower photographers and visual storytellers.

All photos by permission of Tina Sokolovska.